Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-12-09
fined, and assayed II Is nodded into
bars or bricks of various sizes. of value
running from Sll0 to $4,000. and

bars or bricks OF various sizes, of value
running from Sll0 to $4,000. and
properly stamped. Bars worth $500
TO 500, or less are called ut the assay
Office chicken feed" The stamping
upon the sides of one of them just
number. l2,56l; the weight 20.75
ounces; the value Si28 40; while on
the top. AS verihcatiOn. was the as
say office stamp. with the eagle Cor
iineness. fine 997l. This chicken
feed" varies in weight from about five
! up to thrtv-five ounces. The larger
sizes run from twelve to forty pounds in
weight Many of them are stamped
| $4,000 and upward in value. Boxes
OF newly stamped bricks conta ming
$50. 900 to 500. 0OJ each stood on ears
ready to be trundled To the vaults. On
one car was over 81, 100000. With the
stamp of the assay Office upon them,
these bars or br cks arc worth in com
merce the exact valuo at which they
are stamped. and where gold must be
used are preferred in heavy transactions
to any other form of currency. The
vaults OF the assay Office contain in Tia
form Of gold alone. nodded there, over
SIS, 0O0 600. Over S2S, 900, 600 of this
has been received there during the
past three months. Such large
amount of treasure deserves better ac-
cOmmodatiOnS.
Among the other curiosities of the
gold-room are the two alleged bars of
gold which old Capt Richardson some
months ago got from couple of sup.
posed Calfornians for $1,000. They
proved to be pure copper W thOut even
veneerng of gold. Ii the old captain
had been as we'll acquainted with the
precious metals as he profess ii to be he
would have discovered the deceit by the
color. while by 'heftine" them atten-
lively he would have found them not
half as heavy az they should be; the
specific gravity of copper be nc but
s.93, while that of gold Is 1913. Capt.
Richardson never came back after his
gold bars"
While the reporter was at the assay
office the interesting process of separ
atng gold and silver which had been
melted together was under way. The
melt was first graduated by being
east into water. Then the silver j. dis
solved out by being put into sulphuric
acid and boiled in huge iron kettles
1t Is often necessary to repeat the boil
ing five or ten times before satisfac-
tory result is reached. In this opera
ton the gold is not dissolved. but the
silver disso!yes, leaving the gold.
The manner in which gold and silver
are separated from base metals, called
''cupellation. was also III progress.
Just a drachm of weight of the metal
with small particle of lead is placed
in a "cupel, which is little circular
receptacle made Of bone. the shape of
an ordinary wooden checker but a
very little larger, and scooped out so as
to contain the metal to be cuppeled.
The cuppelS, thirty or forty at Il time,
are placed in furnace heated by gas
up to fifteen hundred degrees. The
action of the heat and air then oxi- |
dies. as it is called the baser metals !
and they are absorbed by the porus
cuppel and adhere to the bone, while /.
the cold and silver rpmains
Many Of the officers and employees of |.
the ASSAY office are old men. and gray
locks and silvery boards are in the ma
jority. Some have been there forty |
years. Supt. Mason has passed through |
seven national administrations, and is 1
now serving in his eighth. He entered |
the employ CT the government as
melter and reliner, afterward became /
an assistant assayer, from which posi-
ton he was promoted to the superin- |
tendency. Assayer Herbert G.. Torrey |
has also long boon an officer, and an .
efficient one. Supt. Mason was asked /
yesterday how his subordinates. who /
are constantly handling such large .
quantities of precious metals, were re-
sponsible to him. Solely by their
honesty was Mr.. Mason's reply. |
"Ihe superintendent of the vaults is
responsible for his men. But for all /
the rest | have given bonds. and all !
have to rely upon is my belief that they |
are men of thorough integrity.
A Hundred Years Hence.
Frst Lady Juror-There seems to DO